Cirque Du Freak - Darren Shan

Advantages: very gripping storyline, appeals to all ages
Disadvantages: seriously impossible to put down once you start reading it

...the book Cirque du freak was written by Darren Shan and is the first book of twelve in the 'Saga of Darren Shan'. Collins, which is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Limited, first published it in Great Britain in 2000. The recommended price is £3.99, which you will probably find to be the same (or approximately the same) in most major retailers. The basic storyline Darren Shan is just an ordinary schoolboy - until he gets an invitation ...
...name of the book - Cirque du Freak); and a picture of a red spider crawling along a red web. This is suitable to the book because the storyline is mainly about spiders and also the picture is quite freaky which is suitable because of the title of the book 'Cirque du Freak' and the picture of the freaky spider. Also, each book in this series has a 'slogan' or little message that describes the book by giving a tiny insight into it, which then makes ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent and easy read
Disadvantages: Very short books

...square one...Anyway enough ranting. Cirque du Freak is the first in the Darren Shan saga, as well as being the main character in the book this is also the title the author uses for himself when writing. I guess it makes it easier on him. Anyway these books are to me an inspiration, after having read most of the Anne Rice vampire chronicles I struggled to find anything to renew my interest in Vampire reading, or the occult in general. That was until ...
...to me when I was about 14 and recently I've been buying them, just had to read them again. The Shan books are very different to the Rice ones, obviously they are targeted at completely different age groups, Anne Rice being for adults and Shan aimed at 12-16 year olds in my opinion, not that this fact is stopping me from re-reading them. The book itself takes us on the beginning of the life of Darren Shan, a normal boy who loves to play football, ... Read review

Advantages: Amazing
Disadvantages: Can't stop reading :-)

...me, some do not. But Cirque Du Freak literally pulled me right into the story. I couldn't let go, i couldn't put it down, I couldn't stop reading. This book is the first in a series of 12 called the Saga of Darren Shan, featuring the actual author as the main charecter. It tells the life of a normal teenager who becomes a vampire. But it's not what you'd expect from a vampire. You'll have to read it to find out more on that. The story is very cleverly ...
...the correct order): Cirque Du Freak The Vampires Assistant Tunnels of Blood Vampire Mountain Trials of Death The Vampire Prince Hunters of the Dusk Allies of the Night Killers of the Dawn The Lake of Souls Lord of the Shadows Sons of Destiny There are 12 books in total ... Read review

Advantages: easy to get into. great storyline. great characters.
Disadvantages: none!

first read this book a few years ago when I was about 14 maybe but also my mum has read this book so it appeals to anyone of any age! it has a very unique storyline and a great interpretation of vampires. it is such a great read. I never used to like to read but the I started reading this series on an off chance and I was hooked I literally read this book walking around my house lol! I devoured all 12 books in no time at all! I even caught up with ...
...books lol! the story itself is very dynamic but not so much that it is unrealistic.The characters are very diverse and you become attached to each and everyone even if you don't like them to start with they grow on you. there are also so many twists and turns that you really don't expect! so it keeps you on your toes. also look out for the bread crumbs if you intend to read more of the books. another great thing about this series is you can just ... Read review

Advantages: Brilliant read, un-shutable
Disadvantages: You can't sleep for reading

I do not read that many books, and the books I do read tend to be about fast cars and big engines. But Darren Shan and his amazing writing skills changed the way I viewed reading forever! My aunt bought me the first Darren Shan Trilogy for my birthday and to be honest I thought it was just going to be a lame version of "Goosebumps" which I remember reading when I was about eight years old thinking I was cool, then not being able to sleep! So, I ...
...was gripping! I was only going to read the first couple of chapters but I couldn't, the book had almost hypnotised me, page after page turned and I must have read for around 5 hours before my eyes finally shut! It was like this all the time, once you opened the book, you couldn't shut it. This is the same throughout every book in the series (I have read them all now). The plot has been brilliantly written in each and every book and has twists and ... Read review